Iraqi Cleric Tells Followers to Halt Attacks

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

BAGHDAD — The anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr called on his followers on Saturday to cease their attacks on United States military forces in Iraq, saying that he did not want the Americans to have an excuse to remain in the country, according to a statement posted on a Web site of his political party.

But if the American troops do not leave by the end of the year, the attacks should resume, the statement said.

It could not be independently confirmed that the statement was from Mr. Sadr.

A 2008 agreement between the United States and Iraq calls for the withdrawal of American troops by the end of this year. But in August, the Iraqi government said it would negotiate with the Americans about some troops remaining to continue to train the fledgling Iraqi security forces.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/world/middleeast/11sadr.html

[ClarkUSA]

1. Iran's mouthpiece speaks so Iraq will be a puppet state of Iran ASAP via al-Sadr.

[msongs]

2. exactly so let's send more troops to Iraq to prevent that. ok nt

[Bucky]

3. The idea that we could prevent Iraq from falling into Iran's orbit has led to 1000s of US deaths

and uncountable tens of thousands of Iraqi deaths. It's the geopolitical equivalent of flapping your arms to turn back the wind. Moqtada alSadr is bad news, but it's better that he be Tehran's headache than ours.

[blank space]

4. You wait till the Shiites of Saudi Arabia get pissed

- things will get real interesting real quick then - ooooops on all those German Tanks, British Typhoons and US Raptors, Russian SAM Sm-400 air defense systems no defending Greater Persia......get used to it.

[Bucky]

5. Shiites of Saudi Arabia ?

Yes, they'll have to answer to the Protestants of Rome

[bemildred]

6. Saudi Arabia has a large Shi'ite population.

And some of them live right where the oil is. Look it up.